Department for Transport

Crossrail: Performance Related Pay

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for setting and approving performance-related bonuses and payoffs for the senior management team of Crossrail; and under what circumstances no bonuses would be payable.

baroness sugg: Salaries and performance-related bonuses are a matter for Crossrail Limited and its Board. Crossrail Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transport for London.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of (1) the strategic objectives regarding, and (2) long-term threats posed by, North Korea’s nuclear programme.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: North Korea has developed a nuclear programme in breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and ten unanimously agreed UN Security Council Resolutions. North Korea has long claimed that risk of attack from the US has justified the development of its nuclear programme. However, it is North Korea’s own provocative actions towards the US and other countries in the region and its flagrant disregard for international norms that pose a serious threat to international peace and security. We strongly urge North Korea to take decisive steps to fulfil the commitments it has made to denuclearise and open the way to a more stable and prosperous future.

USA: INF Treaty

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement on 4 December that the United States will in 60 days suspend its obligations with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance with that Treaty, what action they are taking within NATO to persuade the government of Russia to reverse its violation of the Treaty and to ensure a unified approach within NATO on arms control.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As NATO Foreign Ministers said in a statement on 4 December, Russia has developed and fielded a missile system that violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and poses significant risks to Euro-Atlantic security. The US and other Allies have repeatedly raised their concerns with Russia, both bilaterally and multilaterally.Russia's actions are eroding the foundations of effective arms control. Allies have called on Russia to return to full and verifiable compliance with the Treaty. We will continue to consult each other regularly, with a view to ensuring our collective security. We have also agreed to uphold, support and further strengthen arms control, taking into account the prevailing security environment.

Kosovo: Serbia

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of diplomatic tensions between Kosovo and Serbia; and whether they would support a membership application from Kosovo to join the EU.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are concerned by the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and are urging both countries to avoid any escalation and re-commit to the EU-facilitated Dialogue. Normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo is crucial for the security, stability and prosperity of both countries and the wider region. We support the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo with a view to a comprehensive and sustainable solution that enjoys popular support in both countries.We continue to support all countries committed to the EU accession process in meeting the necessary requirements.

China: Prisoners

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the preliminary findings of the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners Of Conscience in China on allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners in China.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that allege that a process of involuntary organ removal may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. The British Government fully supports the Declaration of Istanbul (May 2008), which encourages all countries to draw up legal and professional frameworks to govern organ donation and transplantation activities.The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.We will continue to review available evidence on this issue, including the preliminary findings of the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting.

Pakistan: Chevening Scholarships Programme

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 December (HL11765), whether they intend to ask the Chevening Secretariat to make an analysis of the number of members of Pakistani minorities who have been awarded Chevening Scholarships in each of the last five years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The previous system used for Chevening applications did not request information which would be relevant to identifying specific minority groups. Therefore, neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor the Chevening Secretariat is currently able to undertake such analysis. The Chevening Secretariat has recently moved to a new online application system. This would allow for analysis in the future, including of minority groups, if relevant information is submitted by applicants.​

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the destruction of farmland and crops in Gaza by Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities, as there are no Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip. Israel dismantled all their settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice on 26 November to classify methods used by Israeli intelligence officers against a Palestinian prisoner as enhanced interrogation rather than torture.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have not made any assessment of this issue.

West Bank: Sewage

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the contamination of schools and communities in the West Bank with sewage, reportedly dumped by Israeli settlers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we have made clear to the Israeli authorities our concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the damage to water sources and the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land that has been caused by settlement-related activity. We condemn the destruction of Palestinian property and have called on the Israeli authorities to cease such activity.

Jerusalem: Evictions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about plans to evict residents of the villages of Silwan and Batn al-Hawa in East Jerusalem following the decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice to refuse those residents’ petition and instead refer that petition to the Jerusalem Magistrates Court.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. We supported an EU statement on 24 November raising concerns over recent developments which could lead to the eviction of Palestinians from Silwan. Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem and Embassy in Tel Aviv routinely meet Palestinians at risk of eviction from their homes, most recently visiting families in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Batn al-Hawa on 13 December.

British Overseas Territories: Companies

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 November (HL11409), which government departments will be responsible for providing financial and technical assistance to the British Overseas Territories to support the introduction of public registers ofbeneficial ownership, as established by section 51 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government will aim to bring expertise from a range of departments and executive agencies, including Companies House, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for International Development and the Home Office. I announced at the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council the setting up of workshops between the UK and the British Overseas Territories that will be scheduled from spring next year to provide technical support to the territories. The British Government is considering what financial support is possible for the Official Development Assistance-eligible territories.

Cabinet Office

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to speed up the start of the next phase of its work.

lord young of cookham: The timetable for the independent public Inquiry is a matter for the Chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick. Work on Phase 2 has been going on for several months. Sir Martin has said that he would like to start the Phase 2 hearings as soon as possible, but there is still much work to do. The issues to be considered in Phase 2 are complex and detailed, and involve a huge number of documents, which must be reviewed and digested. The investigation must be thorough, but careful and detailed preparation should make it possible to ensure the hearings, once begun, are completed within a reasonable timeBefore the phase 2 hearings, the Inquiry will produce its report on phase 1, and carry out, as far as it properly can, an investigation into the deaths caused by the fire, and make findings that will meet the coroner’s requirements. Sir Martin has made clear that some steps can and should be taken immediately in the interests of public safety, and he has put in place a procedure for considering proposals from core participants. Government is committed to providing the Inquiry with all the resources it needs to complete its important task.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education: Assessments

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what they consider to be the potential educational merits of a baseline assessment for reception pupils.

lord agnew of oulton: In 2017, following a full public consultation, we announced that we would introduce a new reception baseline assessment (RBA) from autumn 2020. The purpose of the RBA will be to provide the starting point of a school progress measure. This will give schools full credit for the important work that they do with all of their pupils throughout their time at primary school, regardless of their prior attainment. Unlike the current progress measure, which only runs from year 2 to year 6 and does not cover the first three years of school, the RBA will allow schools to be recognised for the crucial work that they do with their pupils in the reception year, year 1 and year 2. The short, teacher-mediated assessment will also add to a teacher’s understanding of their class when they start the reception year.Additionally, the introduction of the RBA will enable us to remove the statutory end of key stage 1 assessments, as they will no longer be required to provide a baseline for progress measures, reducing the overall burden of the statutory assessment system on teachers and headteachers.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Landlords

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of rogue landlords that will be included in the rogue landlord database; and how many have been registered to date.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: A Justice Impact Test was prepared to accompany the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to support the Ministry of Justice in its planning. At that time it was estimated that local authorities could enter up to 5,000 rogue landlords and property agents onto the database, including up to 600 (12%) mandatory entries for those in receipt of a banning order and so banned from letting. The government does not have a current estimate of the number of rogue landlords but expects the number to be decreasing because of the strong enforcement powers that we have introduced since 2015 to enable local authorities to drive criminal landlords out of the market.There are no entries to date on the database. This was expected as an offence must have been committed on or after 6 April 2018, a conviction secured and the period for an appeal passed, before an offender’s details can be listed on the database.

Homelessness

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the ending of the Supporting People programme has had on funding for floating support services for people recovering from, or at risk of, homelessness; and whether those services will be included in their planned review of housing-related support.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Supported housing is an invaluable service for vulnerable people across the country. In August, we announced that we will undertake a review of housing related-support, to help us better understand how housing and support fit together. The review will give us a fuller picture into how housing-related support is provided for supported housing across England.The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why this summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.

Home Office

Refugees: Middle East

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Christian refugees are reluctant to enter refugee camps in the Middle East run by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); if so, why; what steps they have taken to persuade the UNHCR and its partners to intensify their outreach to groups that might otherwise be reluctant to register in the UNHCR-run camps; when Home Office officials last had discussions with the UNHCR about its outreach to such groups; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

baroness williams of trafford: We have regular engagement with UNHCR and its partners on a range of issues relating to the resettlement of refugees. The last meeting was on 3 December 2018. These meetings include discussions on strengthening their outreach to minority groups, such as Christians, that might otherwise be reluctant to register for fear of stigma/discrimination and unaware of the safe space and options available to them.In all the countries from which we resettle under the Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Schemes, UNHCR continues to undertake activities which aim to encourage religious and other minorities to register. These include mobile registration teams, outreach teams, and Help Desks for areas where different minority groups are concentrated to facilitate registration and access to services. These are all part of an effort to facilitate registration for those refugees who for whatever reason cannot or choose not to access the main registration offices.

Asylum: Iran

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Iranian citizens made asylum applications in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, and (4) 2018; and how many applications have been granted.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data, in its quarterly Immigration Statistics release, on (a) the number of applications in the UK (table as_01_q Asylum, volume 1), and (b) the number of applications that were granted (in the same table), by nationality.Latest edition available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758192/asylum1-sep-2018-tables.ods Iranian nationalsYearTotal applicationsTotal grantsGrant rate20153,2421,53255%20164,1841,45637%20172,5701,26047%2018 (to end Sept)1,97770640%Note that initial decisions are based on date of decision and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. For example, a decision in 2017 may relate to an application made in 2016.

Visas: Fees and Charges

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for settlement visas paid for the UK Visas and Immigration’s Settlement Priority Visa service from 31 March 2017 to 1 April 2018; and what was the total amount paid by applicants using that service during that period.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not available in published data.

Visas: Fees and Charges

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for settlement visas who paid for the UK Visas and Immigration’s Settlement Priority Visa service from 31 March 2017 to 1 April 2018 qualified for the (1) 8 weeks, and (2) 6 months standard processing times.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not available in published data.

Visas: Fees and Charges

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for settlement visas who paid for the UK Visas and Immigration’s Settlement Priority Visa service from 31 March 2017 to 1 April 2018 and qualified for the 8 weeks standard processing time received their visas within that time; and of those who did not, how many received an explanatory letter within (1) 40 days, and (2) 41 to 60 days of their application.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not available in published data.

Visas: Fees and Charges

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average time taken for applicants for settlement visas who paid for the UK Visas and Immigration’s Settlement Priority Visa service from 31 March 2017 to 1 April 2018 to be (1) issued with a visa, and (2) informed their application had been rejected.

baroness williams of trafford: The information requested is not available in published data.

Criminal Investigation: Internet

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK law enforcement agencies have experienced any new or increased difficulties or obstacles in their investigations since The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers changed the basis on which WHOIS data can be accessed.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' changes to accessing WHOIS data have materially affected or delayed any investigations into online crimes against(1) adults, and (2)children, since they came into force; and whether any UK law enforcement agencies have had to incur additional expenditure as a result of those rules in order to further their investigations into such matters.

baroness benjamin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many criminal investigations have (1) had to be abandoned, and (2) taken an unusual amount of time to investigate since The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' changes to accessing WHOIS data came into effect; and what has been the effect on victims of crime.

baroness williams of trafford: Whilst changes to WHOIS access have presented difficulties for some UK law enforcement investigations, the UK Government does not hold statistical data on the impact of these changes.The Government is working with law enforcement and other affected stakeholders to ensure these impacts are mitigated, including through engagement with ICANN and industry to identify solutions.

Human Trafficking: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their planned timescale for the national rollout of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates Scheme in 2019.

baroness williams of trafford: In July 2018, the Government announced that it would roll out the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs) service to one third of local authorities by April 2019. Following this expansion of the service, we estimate that one third of all children referred into the NRM will be eligible to access the ICTA service in England and Wales.Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which makes provisions for ICTAs, is being considered in the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act led by Frank Field, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Maria Miller. The Government will carefully consider any recommendations about ICTAs which come out of the review.

Human Trafficking: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made in the last six months of the causes behind child victims of trafficking going missing shortly after the point of referral to the National Referral Mechanism.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to assess the links between organised crime networks, re-trafficking and children who go missing from care after being referred to the National Referral Mechanism.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability on 20 November (187328), why they do not publish data on the number and proportion of successful referrals that have been made to the National Referral Mechanism as a result of gang involvement.

baroness williams of trafford: The unaccompanied asylum seeking (UASC) Safeguarding Strategy, published in November 2017, included a commitment to pilot a standardised process for police when they first encounter an unaccompanied child, to inform effective practice in preventing UASC from going missing. Hertfordshire Police successfully implemented their First Encounter Pilot which has reduced missing incidents of the children it identified. It is now available to all forces nationally; to date 12 forces have begun implementing the process.We are working to deliver a National Register of Missing Persons (NRMP) and for it to be in operation in 2020/2021. The Home Office is working to update the Government’s Missing Children and Adults Strategy, which was published in 2011. The refreshed strategy will be accompanied by an implementation plan that will include an action to deliver the NRMP.On 16 January 2017, the Home Secretary announced £2.2m from the Child Trafficking Protection Fund. This has been awarded to seven organisations to protect vulnerable children in the UK and overseas who are at risk of trafficking.The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data but does not publish data about the number, proportion and referrals that have been made to the National Referral Mechanism as result of gang involvement. Latest statistics on NRM referrals and decisions are available at the following link:http://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics/2018-nrm-statisticsFurther information is also available in the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery which was published on 18 October 2018.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2018-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery



UK Annual Report - Modern Slavery - 2018
(PDF Document, 2.23 MB)




NCA National Ref Stats - April-June 2018
(PDF Document, 409.16 KB)

Human Trafficking: English Channel

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent trafficking of migrants from France to England via the English Channel.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of France about preventing the use of the English Channel by people smugglers.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office works closely with partners in the UK and overseas to combat people smuggling at source and target the organised crime groups that facilitate illegal immigration.The Sandhurst Treaty signed by the Prime Minister in January demonstrates the commitment of the UK and France to manage our shared border and deliver enhanced joint action to disrupt and dismantle the groups behind illegal border crossing and the trafficking of vulnerable persons. A new joint centre was opened in Calais in November 2018 to further improve our coordinated approach.Our two countries continue to undertake routine ministerial and senior official contact regarding migration across our shared border and our cooperation under the Sandhurst Treaty.Border Force is taking a range of actions to address clandestine crossings of the Channel, including stepping up deployments of coastal patrol vessels along the South East coast.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many migrants they have detected trying to enter the UK illegally via the English Channel in the last 12 months.

baroness williams of trafford: Border Force does not routinely publish this level of data. All our transparency data can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-november-2018 



Border Force Transparency Data - Nov 2018
(Excel SpreadSheet, 101.11 KB)

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current status of people who have been found tohaveentered the UK illegally via the English Channel; and of those who have since claimed asylum, whether their applications for asylum are affected by their method of entry.

baroness williams of trafford: We have a proud history of granting protection to those who need it. All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits and protection is granted where someone has a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm on return to their country.As part of the asylum decision-making and consideration process, case-workers must consider factors set out in section 8 of the Asylum and Immi-gration Treatment of Claimants etc. Act 2004, which may affect the credi-bility of an asylum seeker, for example, where they have chosen to travel through safe countries to reach the UK or failed without good reason to claim at the earliest opportunity. However, no-one who faces persecution or serious harm in their country is returned there.Those who enter the UK without permission are illegal migrants and liable to removal, but no one will be removed where they have protection needs or until any asylum claim has been decided and any appeal rights ex-hausted.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who entered the UK illegally via the English Channel have been deported in the last year for which figures are available.

baroness williams of trafford: The latest published statistics on returns can be found on line on the www. gov.uk website.Deportations are a subset of enforced returns. They may occur either following a criminal conviction, or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. Information on those deported is not separately available. Published statistics refer to enforced returns, which include deportations, as well as cases where a person has breached UK immigration laws, and those removed under other administrative and illegal entry powers who have declined to leave voluntarily. Most illegal immigrants are removed from the UK under administrative or illegal entry powers and not deported.The Home Office does not separately record the method of entry of those who are returned and as such the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Undocumented Migrants: Finance

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support is offered to those who have entered the UK illegally and are awaiting the outcome on their application for asylum.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office ensures asylum seekers are not left destitute by providing appropriate support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The support package usually consists of free, furnished accommodation (with utility bills and council tax paid) and a weekly cash allowance to meet other essential living needs. But those who find accommodation through friends or relatives may be provided with the allowance only.The level of the allowance, currently set at £37.75 per week for each person in the household, is reviewed each year to make sure it is sufficient to cover essential living needs (the legal test).The most recent assessment of the adequacy of the asylum support rates is set out in a report published in March 2018, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-on-review-of-cash-allowance-paid-to-asylum-seekers. 



Report on the Review of cash allowance 
(PDF Document, 856.43 KB)

Human Trafficking: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference in needs between(1) children who have been trafficked from overseas, and(2) British children who have been trafficked internally; and how the current provision of support differs between those two groups.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government introduced Independent Child Trafficking Advocates in three early adopter sites (Greater Manchester, Hampshire and nationally in Wales). The service has been running in these sites from January 2017 until January 2019. An interim assessment of the first year of the Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service (February 2017 – January 2018) and associated data tables were published in July 2018 and can be found https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/730098/assessment-of-independent-child-trafficking-advocates-horr101.pdfIn July 2018, the Government announced that it would roll out the ICTA service to one third of local authorities by April 2019. Following the expansion of the service, around one third of all children that we estimate will be referred into the NRM will be eligible to access the ICTA service in England and Wales. 



Assessment of Independent Child Trafficking 
(PDF Document, 554.63 KB)

Human Trafficking: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the (1) longest, (2) shortest, and (3) average waiting time for victims of child trafficking to receive positive conclusive grounds decisions from the National Referral Mechanism for each year since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force.

baroness williams of trafford: The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism (NRM) data. It does not publish data about the time taken for victims of child trafficking to receive positive conclusive grounds decisions for each year since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force. Latest statistics on NRM referrals and decisions are available at the following link:http://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics/2018-nrm-statistics Further information is also available in the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery which was published on 18 October 2018.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2018-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery



NCA National Mechanism Stats - April-June 2018
(PDF Document, 409.16 KB)




2018 - UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery 
(PDF Document, 2.23 MB)

Human Trafficking

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on reforming the National Referral Mechanism since October last year.

baroness williams of trafford: The delivery of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) reform programme is a key priority for this Government. Over the past year, significant progress has been made to build the infrastructure required for these ambitious reforms to be implemented by April 2020. An NRM reform newsletter is distributed to interested stakeholders on a regular basis with updates on the programme.Further information is available in the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery which was published on 18 October 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2018-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery



UK Annual Report - Modern Slavery 2018
(PDF Document, 2.23 MB)

Refugees: Finance

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation made by the British Red Cross in its report Still an ordeal: the move-on period for new refugees, published on 6 December,that the time given to refugees before they become ineligible for asylum support following the granting of refugee status should be extended to 56 days

baroness williams of trafford: Home Office officials have met the authors of the report. We are considering the recommendations and will respond in due course.

Immigration Controls

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that butchery skills are recognised in the future immigration framework.

baroness williams of trafford: The Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report on the impact of EEA migration in the UK, was published on the 18 September. We are considering these recommendations carefully.We will publish a White Paper outlining proposals for the future border and immigration system shortly.

Northern Ireland Office

Paediatrics: Pathology

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive on (1) the recruitment of paediatric pathologists in Northern Ireland, and (2) steps being taken to enable post mortems of infants to be conducted in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: The provision of paediatric and perinatal pathology services in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. It has been necessary for the Northern Ireland Department of Health to put in place, as a temporary measure, arrangements for the provision of hospital perinatal and paediatric pathology post mortems to take place at Alder Hey hospital. In the meantime, as well as the temporary measures with Alder Hey, NI Department of Health officials will continue to work closely with the relevant Royal Colleges and training organisations to encourage training in this speciality in order to support the restoration of paediatric and perinatal pathology services for the long-term. This situation once again underlines the need to restore the Northern Ireland Executive.

Treasury

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much interest has accrued to Libyan assets frozen by UN resolutions while in London; and what is the current total value of those assets.

lord bates: The Treasury does not hold comprehensive information about how much interest has accrued or the current total value of that interest. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) undertakes an annual frozen asset review requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen funds in the UK to report to OFSI. At close of business on 29 September 2017 the approximate total value of frozen Libyan assets in the UK was £12.061 billion. The figures for 2018 have not yet been finalised.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any application has been made to use the interest accrued on Libyan assets frozen in London; and if so, by whom.

lord bates: Frozen funds held or controlled by financial institutions are required to be reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) on an annual basis in aggregate. Licence applications are made to OFSI to permit applicants to deal with frozen assets, including to release frozen funds and for designated persons to receive funds in particular circumstances and for a specific purpose. Where licensing applications relate to the release of frozen funds, breakdowns of the sources of those funds are not required as part of the application. Similarly, when the release of frozen funds is authorised, the source of the funds is not specified beyond details about the payment route

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, recent progress they have made on agreeing a tourism sector deal since their announcement to enter negotiations; whether such a deal is likely to come into effect; and if so, when.

lord ashton of hyde: The UK Government is pleased that the formal negotiations have been announced for the Tourism Sector Deal. We are clear, however, that for the proposals to go ahead the sector must provide firm commitments on their side which can be matched by Government. We will continue to work closely with the industry to further develop proposals.

Youth Services: Finance

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report byYMCACut Loose, published on 6 December, that local authorities have cut more than £781 million from youth services since 2010; and what steps they are taking to address this.

lord ashton of hyde: Local authorities are responsible for allocating public funding to youth services in their area. We believe they are best placed to know what is required in their communities. Government recognises the transformational impact that youth services can have for young people. Since 2014/15 the Office for Civil Society, which is now in DCMS, has spent more than £667 million on youth programmes. Government has also committed to review the guidance which sets out the statutory duty placed on local authorities to provide appropriate local youth services to improve young people’s wellbeing.

Imperial War Museum: Finance

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will maintain current levels of grant-in-aid to the Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition after the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

lord ashton of hyde: As an Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Imperial War Museums receives annual Grant-in-Aid funding to carry out a number of objectives, including securing free access to their permanent collections, of which the Holocaust Gallery forms a part. Museums themselves determine how best to allocate Grant-in-Aid across their organisations in addition to self-generated funding. The Government has committed funding in the current Spending Review period. Future funding decisions will be made at the next comprehensive spending review.

5G

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to roll out 5G in the UK in a timely manner without using any Chinese technology; and if so, how.

lord ashton of hyde: We are committed to becoming a world leader in 5G, and the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review sets out a national, long-term strategy to help deliver this ambition. It is vital that the UK has the right conditions in place to foster resilient and secure supply arrangements to deliver our digital connectivity ambitions. That is why Government has put security at the heart of the 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme, allocating £10 million for 5G security projects. Furthermore, DCMS is leading a cross-government review into the supply chain arrangements for the UK’s telecoms infrastructure. The review will consider the full UK market position, including the resilience and security standards of equipment for 5G. The review is actor agnostic and not a binary assessment of the countries of origin of telecoms equipment.

Internet: Advertising

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate digital advertising.

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Competition and Markets Authority about conducting a market study of digital advertising to investigate whether the market is working for business and consumers.

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Advertising Standards Authority about (1) the operation of, and (2) the future content of, the Code on Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct and Promotional Marketing; and what has been the outcome.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government is committed to ensuring that the principles that govern advertising in traditional media also apply and are enforced online. We recognise the highly complex nature of the online advertising industry and as part of the Digital Charter’s work programme we are gathering more evidence on the sector as a whole. To support this work we are engaging with regulators, online platforms and advertising companies, to understand the impact of online advertising on society and the economy. As an independent authority, the CMA has complete discretion to investigate consumer and competition cases which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate. The CMA’s case selection is entirely independent and cannot be influenced by government. The Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing is drawn up the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), an independent body comprised of advertising industry representatives, and enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority through a system of self-regulation. The Code applies to advertising in non-broadcast media including online, as well as print, outdoors, video-on-demand, direct marketing and cinema. It is regularly reviewed and updated by CAP to ensure it remains effective, and proposed changes to the Code are routinely subject to public consultation. This process is conducted independently of Government.

Data Protection

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the outcome of negotiations with the EU about the relationship between the Information Commissioner's Office and the European Data Protection Board after the UK leaves the EU.

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure ongoing regulatory cooperation between UK and EU data protection authorities after the UK has left the EU.

lord ashton of hyde: The UK government’s White Paper, ‘The Future Relationship Between the United Kingdom and the European Union’ set out an ambitious future relationship with the EU on data protection that builds on standard EU adequacy arrangements to provide for ongoing regulatory cooperation between the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the EU Data Protection Authorities that make up the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). The White Paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-relationship-between-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union.   The Political Declaration sets out that the UK and the EU should make arrangements for cooperation between the ICO and the EU Data Protection Authorities. The UK will continue to have high standards of data protection and there will be no immediate change in the UK’s data protection standards. GDPR standards (as incorporated into UK law) will still apply in the UK and the Information Commissioner will remain the UK’s independent supervisory authority on data protection.

Data Protection

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will retain regulatory alignment with the EU on data protection after the UK has left the EU.

lord ashton of hyde: The UK and the EU start from a position of regulatory alignment on data protection. The UK’s Data Protection Act 2018 updated the UK’s rules in accordance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and transposed the Law Enforcement Directive, ensuring our data protection laws will be aligned with those of the EU at our point of exit. The GDPR is direct EU legislation that will form part of UK domestic law under the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA) from Exit Day. We will use powers under the EUWA to correct deficiencies which result from the withdrawal of the UK from the EU to ensure that the UK’s legal framework for data protection continues to function correctly after exit day. In practice, this is largely a technical exercise, making changes which “domesticate” EU text, e.g. amending ‘Union law’ to read ‘domestic law’, or replacing ‘Member State’ with ‘the UK’, and repatriating powers from EU institutions to UK government. In the future, as an independent country outside of the EU, the UK will be able to make changes to its own national data protection framework. The UK is and will continue to be a global leader in strong data protection standards.

Legislative Reform (Horserace Betting Levy) Order 2018

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rejection by both Houses of the draft Legislative Reform (Horserace Betting Levy) Order 2018; and what plans they have to revise their guidance to officials on the use of Legislative Reform Orders.

lord ashton of hyde: In April 2017, we made significant reforms to the Horserace Betting Levy by fixing the Levy rate at 10% and extending the scope of the Levy to include offshore online bookmakers for the first time. These reforms resulted in an extra £45m in statutory Levy income for 2017/18 to support the racing industry and we expect a similar uplift for 2018/19. The uplift in income from the reformed Levy has contributed to record prize money of £142.5m in 2017/18 and has also provided increased funding for equine welfare, industry recruitment and training, and measures related to veterinary science and education. We note the Parliamentary Scrutiny committees’ reports regarding proposed changes to the administration of the reformed Levy and will consider them carefully.

Music

lord newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of increased restrictions on road haulage between the UK and the EU on the music sector in the event of a no deal scenario.

lord ashton of hyde: This government has been clear that we do not want exit with EU on the 29th March 2019 without a deal. Nevertheless, the government will continue to do the responsible thing and prepare for all eventualities. As part of these preparations, the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport has held a series of ministerial roundtables with the creative sector on the impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU, which have been attended by representatives from the music industry, regarding touring musicians and crews in particular. The department will continue to build on this engagement with the sector and with other government departments as we prepare for exit to ensure that the impacts and opportunities of EU exit for the music sector is understood. On 24th September 2018, to help businesses prepare for the key issues that were raised in these discussions, we published a technical notice entitled ‘Commercial road haulage in the EU if there’s no Brexit deal’.